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Help Nonprofits Achieve Their Goals by Organizing a Charity Auction

No one can deny that an auction is one of the most successful and exciting forms of fundraising. Even Pope Francis loves a good auction. According to a report from The Independent, the pontiff has put his Harley-Davidson motorcycle up for auction for the sake of charity:

“Pope Francis was given the 1,585cc Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide in June last year to mark the 110th anniversary of the brand.

Since Pope Francis sold his Mercedes-Benz Popemobile in favour of a less extravagant car, it was unlikely he would keep the Harley Davidson for his personal use.

Instead, the Pope donated the bike to the Roman Catholic charity Caritas Roma.

The organisation plans to use the money to renovate its Don Luigi di Liegro hostel and soup kitchen based at Rome’s Termini railway station.

It is estimated that the motorcycle, which is signed on the tank by Pope Francis, will fetch up to €15,000 at auction on 6 February.”

You can also help reputable nonprofits raise the money they need to complete their charitable projects by organizing a charity auction of your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Event-Centered Auctions

Try setting an auction theme and selecting prizes that match an upcoming holiday or other special occasion. For example, Valentine’s Day is coming soon, so you might want to try auctioning an all-expenses-paid romantic date.

Online Auctions

If you do not have the funds to rent a venue for a live auction, you might want to try your hand at organizing online charity auctions instead. This should be easy, as some charity auction websites, like eBay Giving Works, are already partnered up with several established nonprofits, allowing organizers to automatically donate all proceeds to a nonprofit of their choice.

(Article Information and Image from Pope Francis’ Harley Davidson motorbike to go on sale in Paris next month, The Independent, January 13, 2014)